Urban to cap Day 2 at Stampede

Friday

Jun 25, 2010 at 8:27 AM

Bill Blankenship

MANHATTAN — Mr. Nicole Kidman and the country singer formerly known as Hootie top the entertainment lineup on Day 2 of the Country Stampede.

The 15th edition of the annual country music festival at Tuttle Creek State Park got started Thursday with a slate of concerts topped by current country music chart-topper Miranda Lambert, and the caliber of main stage acts remains powerful with a Friday lineup topped by country music superstar Keith Urban.

Urban is well known beyond country music circles because the New Zealand-born Australian singer is married to a fellow Aussie, actress Nicole Kidman, who nearly two years ago bore the couple's first child, Sunday Rose. He recently told People.com when asked about whether the toddler is more like daddy or mommy: "I think she's a combination of both of us so far, but she's got my wife's legs, which is very lucky for her. She sure doesn't deserve mine."

Although the crowd at Stampede would act like paparazzi should Kidman be spotted in Urban's entourage, they undoubtedly will be satisfied just to hear the multiplatinum singer blaze away on the guitar and sing from his many country hits, including 10 No. 1s. Urban's latest, "I'm In," holds the No. 9 spot on the Billboard Country Songs sales chart.

Urban is slated to take the main stage at 10:30 p.m. It will be his fourth Country Stampede appearance, with his previous one coming in 2005.

Preceding Urban to the stage at 8:30 p.m. will be Darius Rucker, who won a huge fan following as the frontman for the pop group Hootie and the Blowfish until he launched a solo country music career in 2008.

Country music fans have welcomed Rucker to their favorite genre with the first three singles from his 2008 album "Learn to Live" going to No. 1 — "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," "It Won't Be Like This for Long" and "Alright" — and "History in the Making" peaking at No. 3. He also picked up the Country Music Association Award for Best New Artist.

Rucker will be making his Stampede debut Friday, as will the first three acts on the main stage.

Bill Gentry, who recently toured as an opening act for Kansas-born country hit-maker Martina McBride, will get things started at 1 p.m., followed at 2:45 p.m. by Jason Jones, who 94.5 Country morning show co-host Rusty Walker called "ear and eye candy." Jones also will play a 7:30 p.m. set on the venue's Tuttleville stage.

At 4:15 p.m. Danny Gokey will become yet another "American Idol" finalist whose career path has included a stop at Country Stampede. Gokey, who finished in third place on "Idol's" Season 8, joins the ranks of Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler and Carrie Underwood, all "Idol" finalists who have the Country Stampede on their resume.

Country music veteran Tracy Lawrence, who performed at the first Country Stampede and at the one in 2001, returns for his third appearance with a 6:30 p.m. set. He will have plenty of well-known songs from which to choose for this concert, having scored more than 30 charting singles, including eight No. 1 hits.

Bill Blankenship can be reached at (785) 295-1284 or bill.blankenship@cjonline.com.

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